“Streaming should not become the standard”

Mr Dissertori, why should ETH lecturers return to primarily in-person instruction?

We have the impression that, this past semester, significantly fewer students have been coming to campus and to lectures than before the outbreak of the pandemic. Unfortunately, fewer than we had expected. It’s still possible to take courses online, of course, but we are somewhat concerned about whether students understand the value of social networks. ETH studies show that they are not only important for students’ well-being, but also crucial to their success. The saying “you don’t get through the first year alone” is not just words.

Did students not miss campus that much after all?

To be honest, we don’t know. The reality is that after two years (of the pandemic), the cohorts are just getting to know what a normal student life with a fully open campus is like. These students were socialised under remote learning conditions.

Is that a problem?

We are uncomfortable with it. We hear, for example, that more and more students consider it normal to take multiple courses that take place at the same time – partly due to the availability of recordings. They enrol in too many courses per semester. When they get to the exams, they then realise that they have taken on more than they can handle. There is also an increasing expectation that streaming and recordings are part of the course offerings.

And they shouldn’t be?

Streaming should not become the standard. Recordings can be very helpful for exam prep, but they should only be supplementary. ETH is an in-person university – the strength of our study programmes is in the close contact with the lecturers, with professors who are among the best in the world in their subjects. Education at ETH thrives on direct interaction with them – and also from the interaction among students themselves.

So there shouldn’t be any more online offerings?

No, of course there should be. But we have asked lecturers not to offer any full online courses, in other words, courses not requiring any in-person attendance. ETH has long utilised “blended learning”, in which students learn part of the material at home – that is, online – and then primarily complete assignments or discuss possible solutions in-person on campus. These kinds of mixed formats create tremendous value for students because they provide more in-person interaction with their lecturers and fellow students.

But what if the case numbers are high?

Future possible anti-Covid measures do not depend on this recommendation. Our recommendation for more in-person learning is intended to prevent students and lecturers from losing touch with one another. That is a gradual and quiet development that concerns us.

But what about students seeming to value flexibility?

And we don’t want to diminish that, as long as performance and social interaction don’t suffer as a consequence. In the communication, which we developed in consultation with the lecturers, we also recommend the lecturers to continue offering recordings for the first year.

Is ETH now returning entirely to how things were done before the pandemic?

No. Before the pandemic, there were far fewer lecturers who made systematic use of online elements and recordings. Valuable forms of online instruction were developed during those difficult semesters in the midst of the pandemic that can be integrated well into in-person instruction. For example, experiments for a physics lab that can be constructed from craft materials and used at home, and which actually increase learning due to the open nature of the task. The Lecturers’ Conference awarded this course the KITE Award for especially innovative forms of instruction. Such innovations are highly desirable!

How will exams work in the future?

In this area, we will return to the old rules starting this Autumn Semester – with a small exception: oral examinations can now take place via Zoom as part of normal operations.

What about the very large lectures that have to be broadcast to other rooms anyway due to lack of space? Wouldn’t it be better to just move them entirely online?

No. Recent semesters have shown us how important their learning environment can be for students. Not everyone has a place at home where they can study in peace. Studying also isn’t made easier when students have to constantly switch back and forth between in-person and virtual courses. The pandemic made studying more complicated; we must work to counteract that.